![]() ![]() ![]() The front triangle has loads of room for a bottle. The cross-bolted linkage is tough, but does look a little out of place at this price point. But the devil is in the detail here, and it’s the clever mix of geometry numbers that make this bike sing. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like a Norco Sight with a smaller shock – carbon up front, alloy out back, unremarkable really. There’s nothing immediately apparent about the Optic C9.2 that gives you insight into the bike’s complex development. The notion of having the benefits of a 29″ wheel and still retaining the playful handling of a 27.5″ bike had us intrigued, so when presented with the choice of review bikes, we opted for the 29er. You can read all the details about how Norco achieved this in our in-depth piece here, or our interview with the bike’s designer, Owen Pemberton. But what makes the Optic unique is Norco’s commitment to making the handling of both wheel size options as close to identical as possible. This in itself is not remarkable, there are many brands that offer popular trail bike models in both 27.5 and 29er formats (for example, the Trek Fuel EX or Specialized Camber). The Optic series is an important project from Norco – a new trail bike, filling a vital hole in their range, and available in two wheel sizes. Product Compatibility, Setup, Fit, & Installation Information.Tyres are not up to the job asked by this bike. ![]() Progression increases to 23% compared to 17% with stock link.130 mm of travel (with stock 190x45mm shock).The link can be installed at home with basic bike maintenance tools in about 20 minutes. Because the link is designed around the Optic's stock shock, there is no need to purchase a different shock or have a custom shock tune done to experience the benefits of a linkage. While shocks are getting increasingly tunable, there are still some limitations with volume reducers, progressive springs and compression tuning - none of which can recreate the feel and performance of the linkage. Because a trail bike needs to be able to climb well, we made sure to maintain the excellent pedaling characteristics of the Optic so you can still take the bike on the longest rides imaginable. As a result, riders no longer have to compromise by running their rear suspension too soft for better traction or too stiff to avoid bottoming out.Īlthough we tend to focus more on descending, we recognize that the Optic is still a trail bike. On the trail, this increase in progression provides better traction and small bump compliance while simultaneously making the bike harder to bottom out. More progression allows a spring to feel softer at the beginning of travel and stiffer as it is compressed. On big impacts it resists bottoming even more. The increase in progression and slight bump in wheel travel lets this thing smooth the little stuff out like never before but without losing its efficiency. The Cascade Components link for the Optic increases progression from 17% to 23% while bumping rear wheel travel up to 130mm. Pinkbike has said "Geometry can let you go fast, but don't forget that you only have 125mm." This lets you forget about that last little bit. The Optic is an aggressive trail bike and this link leans into that hard. ![]()
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